Brownback pledges to tap expertise on water policy

Governor declares Democratic rival ill-equipped on water issues

Gov. Sam Brownback went to the edge of the Kansas River in Topeka on Wednesday morning vowing to dedicate the Republican administration to resolving complex and expensive water-supply issues if he wins election to a second term in November.

Gov. Sam Brownback stood a few yards from the Kansas River while vowing Wednesday to dedicate his Republican administration to resolving complex and expensive water-supply issues if he won election to a second term in November.

He said grappling with the irrigation-depleted Ogallala Aquifer and the necessity of dredging state reservoirs were challenges that must be met despite certain controversy and high cost.

"This is a tough topic. Water is difficult," Brownback said. "The old Western saying is, 'Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting.' We must take proactive measures to secure our future. It is our responsibility, and we must not fail."

He said he was the candidate in the governor's race qualified to coherently address water policy. Specifically, he said, Democratic nominee Paul Davis lacked expertise in the area. The other candidate is Libertarian Keen Umbehr.

Davis said he devoted an extensive amount of time with agriculture, livestock and community leaders regarding water resources in Kansas. He said the governor had thwarted work of state water regulators by approving budgets that swept funding from the agency.

"He has constantly removed money from the state water plan to subsidize his economic experiment," Davis said.

Standing on a concrete boat ramp at Kaw River State Park in Topeka, Brownback said he also would strive to repel attempts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to direct water policy in Kansas. He said Kansas officials would continue battling to make certain Kansas receives a fair share of river water flowing through multiple states.

The governor didn't outline a specific plan for moving toward a new era of water management. The Brownback administration is working on a 50-year plan that focused on water quality and quantity. State legislators agreed to borrow $20 million to finance reservoir dredging.

"This vision must be statewide, recognizing that one size does not fit all," Brownback said.

The first target is John Redmond Reservoir, which has accumulated sediment in a quantity that could leave Wolf Creek nuclear power plant without sufficient reserves in a drought.

Brownback also indicated the state's residents had largely missed the opportunity to use the Kansas River for recreational purposes.

In response to a question, Brownback said forces supportive and opposed to the state's renewable energy standard should work together in an attempt to identify a method of phasing out the mandate on energy utility companies. The renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in Kansas requires that 20 percent of power must be derived from renewable sources, such as wind turbines, by 2020.

He said he also would welcome discussion about phasing out a federal tax credit beneficial to wind farm developers as well as subsidies relied upon by the ethanol industry to expand production.

"If there is a way over time to work that off, I'm for that," Brownback said.

In the 2014 session of the Legislature, Republicans in the House fell short in an attempt to pass a Senate-approved bill repealing the state's RPS.

Critics of Kansas' RPS provisions adopted in 2009 expressed frustration that a coal plant linked to the renewable standards had yet to be built. The Republican-led Legislature and then-Gov. Mark Parkinson made a deal that removed a major stumbling block to the coal-fired power plant in southwest Kansas in exchange for adoption of the RPS.

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Brownback - how about cleaning up the messes you have already made before creating any more new ones!!!

Just because he has been in a canoe on the Kansas river doesn't make him an expert on managing the states water resources.

"Brownback also indicated the state's residents had largely missed the opportunity to use the Kansas River for recreational purposes." Brownback is an idiot - I live two miles from the Kansas river and I would rather drive 500 miles to go boating on the Colorado River rather than the ugly, smelly, dirty Kansas river.

Brownback also wants to help the Koch Industries war on renewable wind energy so the Koch's can keep the state/country/world dependent on polluting fossil fuels. This is a prime example that Brownback doesn't give a d##n about the majority of the people in Kansas, he is only concerned with helping the rich Koch's get even richer by robbing from the poor and middle.

It's amazing that Brownback wants to take on these projects now that he's running for re-election. They've existed for quite some time but he and our legislature thought showing sonograms, making bills against contraception and gay rights all in the name of religion were more important. Then there's the education thing. Now he says it's a priority. Why wasn't he thinking that when he tried to destroy teachers rights and unions? When you have to slip in the back door to avoid someone, that should tell you something. I don't know if he'll be re-elected but what he does and says he'll do may be two separate things as seen in the past.

Like the expert he hired to detect fraud in the state's multi-billion dollar health care system? The one that had ZERO experience, yet was suppose to be able to monitor the companies run by people that formerly worked for Brownback.

Expert at taking orders from Sam (aka Koch brothers) via a circuitous route of yes-men and rubber stampers. That kind of "expert"?

As an engineer in the water industry, and a farmer, I tried to participate in this initiative by volunteering for a committee or commision. I got placated and ignored by his office......total run around. It seems the whole initiative is packed full of Brownback's cronies instead. It wont be an expert. It will be another of his cronies.

I wanted to sit on the commission for the water "viaduct" concept. I was told it was too early and there was no commission.....in the same email that they sent me a report which listed the commision members at the end of the report. I expressed my disgust at this insult. They placated me some more and ignored me henceforth.